U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session, the former Republican senator from Alabama, yesterday responded to criticism from President Donald Trump, a rare move for the nation’s chief prosecutor.

In an interview with Fox News yesterday, Trump said Sessions – who was the first U.S. Senator to support him – “never took control of the Justice Department.”

Sessions has been a target of the president since he announced he would recuse himself from the Russian investigation.

Sessions responded, “I took control of the Department of Justice the day I was sworn in, which is why we have had unprecedented success at effectuating the President’s agenda — one that protects the safety and security and rights of the American people, reduces violent crime, enforces our immigration laws, promotes economic growth, and advances religious liberty.

“While I am Attorney General, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations. I demand the highest standards, and where they are not met, I take action. However, no nation has a more talented, more dedicated group of law enforcement investigators and prosecutors than the United States.

“I am proud to serve with them and proud of the work we have done in successfully advancing the rule of law.”

Most legal experts say Sessions was right to recuse himself from the probe into whether or not Russia interfered with the 2016 election. Sessions was a prominent surrogate for Trump during the 2016 campaign and, during his confirmation hearings to be attorney general, had failed to mention several interactions he had with Russians during the course of the campaign.